


Never Fade Away

by the_reaper666



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: (Don't Fear) The Reaper Ending (Cyberpunk 2077), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Planning Any 3some, Post-The Sun Ending (Cyberpunk 2077), Rating May Change, Sorry Not Sorry, Tags May Change, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29491563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_reaper666/pseuds/the_reaper666
Summary: Post The Sun Ending. Takes place after Crystal Palace mission.There was a way and V didn't run out of luck yet."You'd do anything at all for even the faintest chance at survival."
Relationships: Goro Takemura/V, Kerry Eurodyne/V
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

__

_**He was meant to come back home. To… someone…**_

_**He couldn’t remember…**_

_**What happened?** _

_**Where was he now?**_

  
  
  
  


_"Save him," someone said with tone of desperation and sorrow. A man. He could swear he knew that voice from somewhere but couldn’t quite catch from where… "I will do whatever you want but please, save him. I beg you."_

_"What makes you think I can save him?" other voice answered, it was soothing and calm. A strange contrast between the two. "Is it **him**? We need to connect him to-"_

_"What?! No! You can’t do this!" a woman shouted, something metallic hit the floor with dreadful sound._

_"There is no other way," the calm voice responded, sighing lightly. "If we won’t do something he will die within few days. That’s the only option we-"_

_"His life isn’t even worth it!"_

_"Every life is precious."_

_"And yours?!"_

_"I’m not alive."_

_"Please..." desperate voice spoke up again._

_"Don’t worry. Your input is in good hands."_

  
  


_Someone put a hand on his head and caressed it gently. Then a needle pierced the skin on his neck and he felt numb._

  
  


_**D̫͈̬̓̋̚a̱̺͂͆r̨̛̥̠̪̦̊͊̈́͂k͓̼̪̗̀̿̚͡n̹̯̄̚ẻ̦s̙̻͎͉̈̈́̃̕s̛̘̣̖͌̍.**_

  
  
  
  



	2. The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takemura, Takemura, Takemura.
> 
> And stuff.

  
  
  
  
  
_That one thing that changed it all_  
_That one sin that caused the fall_  
  
  
  


He woke up in a strange place, in soft and fresh bed sheets. The feeling was so pleasant and so unbelievable that he thought he was still dreaming. The only thing that spoiled the situation was a terrible headache, which hinted that everything was happening in reality. He thought he was going to puke. How much did he drink yesterday? He had to go overboard with alcohol to be in such state afterwards... Still. He didn't have an unpleasant taste in his mouth as usual. Some positivity. He grunted as he opened his eyes and the pain intensified. Even though the windows were covered with curtains, it was still way too bright. He tried to remember anything from the day before, but his mind was blank. _Jesus._ From what he could deduce, he was in a bedroom, unnaturally clean and tidy. Whose apartment was it? Who did he come home with...? 

"V?" A complete stranger ran into the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put a hand to V's forehead, his face a worried expression and his eyes glowing blue. Did he just scan him? Did he look _THAT_ bad? "How are you feeling?" 

"Like shit. And who the fuck you are?" 

"Takemura Goro," the man replied, frowning slightly, pain flashing in his eyes for a moment. He had black hair slightly reaching over his shoulders, gray on the sides, which meant that he was older... much older. His eyes were light gray with large pupils, they looked a bit cat-like... Light stubble... and underneath, his neck was decorated with impressive chrome. The implants looked like they were top-notch, one that no one outside Corpo world could afford... But what would V be doing with someone like that? "I will make you a tea. Are you hungry? Does anything hurt you? They gave me pills-" 

"My head." 

"Alright. I will be right back," the man… Goro, squeezed his hand gently and disappeared through the door. 

He drank so much he had a blackout and landed in stranger's bed? _At least he's handsome._ But something was bothering him. The pain was completely different than usual, and as he noticed earlier, there was no disgusting taste and sand in mouth... Fuck, he probably got into a fight and got so fucked up that he lost his mind. High chance he tried to show off like that gonk again and took the solo mission instead of asking Jackie for help... How would he explain it? Maybe he should give him a call? He couldn't connect to the holo. He still carried a remote phone with him... Where was it? He rose to a seat and looked around. On the bedside table there was only a book of unknown origin, a strange pendant with a single bullet, a box of pills - tranquilizers - and a packet of tissues. There was no trace of the phone. The room was modest, with no decorations or unnecessary furniture. A single wardrobe by the door and a chair next to the bed on which hung a white shirt. Strong Corpo vibe... 

Takemura returned with a mug of steaming tea and a small plate with a strange pancake on it, a fork and two pills. The smell itself made V drool. Takemura put everything on the nightstand and went to the window to open it and let in fresh air. Luckily, he left the curtains in place. 

"You don't know where my phone is?" V asked, taking a few sips of tea and swallowing the pills. The taste was sweet, cherry red. 

"You didn't have it with you." 

"Where are we?" 

"...in Europe. More specifically in Norway. " 

"What...?" V frowned, suddenly feeling insecure. In Europe? It's a long way from home... a completely different continent. How did they get here? After all, no one was able to leave Night City... there were Militech and Arasaka patrols everywhere... Well, no one could leave unless they were rich and ate from Corpo's hand... And Jackie? What about Jackie? Takemura, seeing his anxiety, sat down on the edge of the bed and, soothingly, took V's hands with his. 

"You had ... an accident. The only doctor who could help you was here,” Takemura took a breath and pursed his lips as if trying to find the right words. "Last what do you remember?" 

"I was meant to meet my choom, Jackie, he found some preem biz? He mentioned new Fixer... Dexter DeShawn. No idea what I was doing after the call he gave me..." 

" _Kuso..._ " Takemura cursed softly in his mother language and frowned. "V, Dexter De Shawn is dead. I personally shot him about 8 months ago." 

"But Jackie-" 

"V, you have memory issues. Amnesia," Takemura explained briefly, then handed him a plate with the pancake. "Eat something." 

"Amnesia," V repeated slowly, staring at the food. He felt... odd. Maybe this guy was lying? He abducted him for his implants or something... like they were worth anything... 

"Temporary. Your memories should be fully back in 6 to 8 weeks." 

  
  
  
*͕̕ ͉͝* ͎̀*͙͐  
  
  


For the first week V didn't move out of bed at all. Constant headaches and pills that made him sleepy and dizzy filled his days. During most of the nights he woke up drenched in swear, nightmares of some sort haunting him. He could never rememember them later. They were... strange, indistinct, repetitive and wouldn't let go. Someone was in them, the same person over and over... He woke up screaming. Each time Takemura immediately appeared at his side and tried to calm him down. One day it was so bad the man decided to slip under the covers with V. From that moment on, neither of them slept alone. 

  
  
  
*͕̕ ͉͝* ͎̀*͙͐  
  
  


The aroma of freshly ground real coffee and the sweet smell of fruit woke him up. One thing was for sure, V had never eaten as well as now. Takemura would go out for a few hours a day, as he claimed _running errands_ , when he returned home he would bring shopping bags and prepare meals. When V was finally free to move without stumbling over his legs, he would often come to the kitchen and look over Takemura's shoulder. The man would just smile at him and focus back on what he was currently cooking. Every single time he was asked what he was preparing, he answered _something tasty_. All of this had a strange domestic feeling. It was incredibly enjoyable. 

"Oh, you are awake," Takemura mused, setting the tray on the nightstand. "Thought I would make you a surprise. How are you feeling?" 

"Better, thanks," V eyed the tray and licked his lips. It was a puffy pancake with whipped cream and fruits. Cut pieces of strawberries, bananas, apples and on top of that - blueberries. All were organic, no synthetic stuff and prepared by no other than Takemura himself. V had no idea how the man got his hands on those but damn, it was preem. And that coffee... 

"That is good then," Takemura smiled, handing him the plate. 

V grabbed his fork and started eating immediately, purring with pleasure. One thing, however, bothered him. Whenever he ate anything, Takemura stared at him and smiled. He didn't speak, just stared like a gonk. It was a little... disturbing? V didn't want to imply anything, but Takemura's gaze was… deep, full of warmth and some kind of longing. Jackie would surely piss him off if he found out what thoughts are going through V's head... _Dress up cute, mano, and he'll eat out of your hand._ Ugh, fuck you, Jackie. 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he finally asked when he finished eating. 

"I… I am just glad you are here," Takemura answered in a whisper as his eyes lit up. Or maybe it was just V’s imagination? "You have no idea how happy it makes me." 

V frowned, trying to understand any of this but to no avail. He sighed putting aside an empty plate and looked at the coffee mug. There was a single painkiller laying next to it. One, not two as usual. That was a good sign. Preem. 

"Goro… may I ask you something?" V bit his lower lip and dared to look at Takemura, who was only slightly surprised. _Were we close before? Are we a couple? Do you like me? Can I kiss you? Wait, why would I ask for this?_ , thousand questions flew through his mind but in the end he settled for something else. "Are you a Corpo?" 

"Was," he answered, nodding his head. There was something bitter in his tone. "Saburo’s only bodyguard. Hanako-sama offered me to stay but I… I left." 

"What? That Saburo?! Saburo’s Arasaka bodyguard?!" V asked in disbelief, eyes wide open. Wow… just wow… Did Jackie know about it?! 

"Mmm… not very proud of it now." 

"And you left?! They say you only leave a corpo when you’re… y’know… dead." 

"It is not me who died there," Takemura sighed and leaned back on his chair. 

"Saburo’s dead?" 

"Yes. For good this time." 

"This time? And Hanako?" V asked, raising his brows. Then he felt a sharp pain in his head, an image of Yorinobu Arasaka strangling his father flashed before his eyes. An absolute terror ran down his spine, he coughed up few times, nearly forgetting how to breathe as his heart rate skipped a beat. Fuck. _What was that? A memory?_

"V," Takemura was by his side in an instant, hugging him tightly. "No matter what you start remembering, I am here for you." 

  
  
  
*͕̕ ͉͝* ͎̀*͙͐  
  
  


"He’s dead, isn’t he…?" V asked one day during breakfast. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen and mulling over a bowl with cereal. His voice was quiet, resigned even, as he stared down at the food with empty eyes. Takemura turned over, a puzzled look on his face. "...Jackie. He’s fucking dead." 

"Yes," Takemura replied and sighed, sitting in front of V. "Do you wish to talk about it?" 

"I… no, it’s just… I… When we’ll delta back to Night City?" V changed the subject, unable to talk about his best friend’s death. He got a feeling it happened long time ago but it felt like a fresh wound. Like it happened yesterday and he wasn’t ready to move on. How did Jackie die though? Why he couldn’t remember? Why he lost his memories?! Fuck! Fuck! 

"We need to stay here one more week to make sure you will not have more headaches or other side effects. Then we can go back to the city. They said first three weeks will be rough and you should stay nearby just in case," Takemura explained then put his hand on top of V’s. "You are not alone, V, remember this." 

  
  
  
*͕̕ ͉͝* ͎̀*͙͐  
  
  


That night wasn’t the best. V woke up screaming, scared and completely out of it. He was shaking, sweat soaked his t-shirt and tears streamed down his cheeks. Takemura embraced him instantly and held him close, soothingly combing through his hair. _Konpeki Plaza. Flathead. The Relic. Saburo Arasaka. T-Bug. Delamain. Jackie. Dexter DeShawn. Gun. Fear. A bullet… Did he… did he die…?_

"Shhh… it was just a bad dream." 

"It wasn’t… a dream. I-It was… too vivid, too real. The pain…" V muttered, still shaking. "You were there… looking at the screen… Saburo got strangled by his son… Jackie… The chip… Then he… He shot me in the head. I’ve never been so scared…" 

"V. You are here, alive and safe. Nothing else matters." 

"I don’t want to die…" 

"You will not," Takemura assured him and got up from bed. "I will make you some tea." 

"No. Goro, you should go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you up… Don’t want to be a bother." 

"You are far from that," Takemura smiled warmly, ruffling V’s hair. 

V felt really bad for waking Takemura up. The man had dark circles under eyes, he barely slept because he was always looking after V. When he was coming back home from fuck knows where he seemed more tired than ever and yet he always put V’s needs above himself. It had to be a tiresome chore. He cooked meals, kept track on painkillers and made sure V wasn’t bored. One day he brought few books, BDs, puzzles and a radio capable of broadcasting every single music channel on the world. That was as far as connection with the _outer world_ went. The city was sealed. Takemura said nobody really goes out, few come in, people use a local subnet and database. They can call anyone inside the city, but not outside, they used separated devices but their range was limited to the city. The few _allowed_ to go into global dataspace were rogue AI, apparently there were multiple of them here. They were helping runaways and kept things at bay so no corporation would knock on their doors. Yes, this city was free from Corpo influence and people lived happily. No crimes, no gangs, no using each other or fighting for power. No wonder nobody wanted to leave this place. A perfect shelter. 

When V found his way into the kitchen, Takemura placed a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of him. He glanced up at the clock at the wall. 3AM. 

"You leaving in the morning again?" he asked, worried that older man would go do his… thing… tired. It shouldn’t be like this. 

"Not in the morning," Takemura mused, staring outside the window and biting his lower lip. He looked thoughtful, maybe a bit flustered while he considered his next words. It took him a few minutes. "There is a spring festival today… At the amusement park in the evening. I thought… maybe you would like to go?" 

"Amusement park? Those still exist?" 

"Mmm… some places never changed." 

"Preem! I’d love to go." 

"I am glad to hear that," he chuckled and smiled broadly. 

  
  


V couldn’t wait for the evening. He was excited like a small child of the prospect of going to real working amusement park. They had one in Night City, in Pacifica region, but it was completely destroyed and in ruins. While he tried to hide his impatience, Takemura managed to fall asleep on the couch when reading a book. The view was oddly familiar and yet foreign at the same time… Something was missing, V knew that, but he couldn’t get a grasp what was it. Maybe it was the place? Or maybe it was the lack of memories taking its toll? Seeing how much Takemura cares for him made him feel bad for forgetting… They had to be close, right? That accident he spoke about… did he mean the bullet in head? What a mess… 

Takemura woke up in the afternoon. Yawning, he looked around just to see V placing a cup of coffee at the table next to him. He jumped instantly, like he just remembered the most important thing and cursed under his breath. The book he was reading fell on the floor with loud thump. 

"What hour is it?" 

"Chill. We still have time." 

"That is good," he grabbed a cup of coffee and took few sips. "I really want to take you there before our departure." 

"’dis a date?" V smiled playfully and nearly laughed when Takemura choked on his coffee. 

"If you want it to be," Takemura answered slowly, carefully picking his words. 

"So it’s settled." 

  


When they arrived, some very cheerful woman ran up to them with a big smile on her face. She was… average height, ginger hair with two ponytails on the sides. 

"Takemura! Wasn’t sure if you’d show up but there you are! How’s your input?!" she clapped her hands, eyes glowing yellow as she spoke. After a while she noticed V standing behind Takemura’s back and waved at him. "Oh, there you are! That’s preem! How you feeling? All good?" 

Before V could answer, a man joined the energetic woman and patted her shoulder. She scowled, stepping aside a bit. They looked at each other for a moment, having a silent conversation then she nodded. 

"Takemura, Sir. We encountered a problem at the power plant. I know it’s not the right time but would you mind checking the technical plans with me? Won’t take long, I promise. Your… input… can stay with Hope for the time being," he glanced at V then back at Takemura. "Or we could talk tomorrow morning, if you’d like." 

"I can check it now," Takemura answered and sent V a smile. "I will be back in a second." 

The man lead Takemura to small building to the side. V could see several other people inside, bending over a table and talking vigorously. Probably discussing those technical plans the man spoke about. 

"Always problems with that one," the woman, Hope, sighed and leaned against the wall. "Oh, well. So, how are you feeling? We were quite worried about you and grumpy old man wouldn’t say a thing." 

"Grumpy old man…? You mean-" 

"Takemura, yeah," she chuckled but there was something odd in her voice. "You arrived here in awful state. Damaged engram, eh?" 

"Damaged what?" 

"The biochip. One in your head?" 

"Oh, that. I got shot in the head. But I’m fine. I think." 

"Hmmm," she looked at him weird, like going through something in her head. "Your memories took a hit, eh? Integrity looks more than perfect, you’ll be fine." 

"Integrity?" 

"Your engram." 

"My what?" 

"You’ve got an engram. Not a pro here, but I think it’s been a while. _Secure Your Soul_ program rings a bell?" 

"Thing for rich bastards? I’ve seen the ads but never put much interest to it." 

"It’s digitized psyche. You’re stored on a biochip." 

"You want to say I’m not human," V said doubtfully, liking this conversation less and less. 

"No. You’re yourself. And you’re healing. Unlike US you have a soul. The empathy, the emotions, everything that define humans." 

"You-" 

"I’m an AI. One of the many here," she grinned widely then pointed at the building. Takemura and the others were leaving. "Go get ‘im, champ. Enjoy your evening! Try roller coaster and Ferris wheel!" 

They sure did visit a Ferris wheel where they had a great view on the city from above. It wasn’t a Night City, no. It wasn’t even close to it. They didn’t have skyscrapers nor trash laying around. Small buildings, houses and fields with crops. It was weirdly refreshing… Then they tried their best at shooting contest. Well, not both of them, Takemura tried. Shooting to balloons with a toy gun wasn’t something he was used to. He lost to a little girl, which was as funny as it was embarrassing. There was also some competition with paper boats drifting on water in the bowl but neither of them understood the rules. People tried to explain it to them but even with all that they couldn’t get a grasp of it. When they finally arrived at the roller coaster it got really dark and yet… whole festival was still going, having even more people there than before. It took them a while to get into the trolley but they managed to get the first one. Takemura smiled to him when safety rods were brought down to lock them and whole thing started to move. Then he felt it. The pain in the back of his head… or front, or sides… he couldn’t locate it. _Fuck._ A flashback showed before his eyes. A man with long, black hair and dark aviators smiling softly at him. V was sitting next to him on a roller coaster, just different background behind the man… a Night City in its full glory. It was middle of the day with blue, cloudless sky above them. They were on that old and broken machine in Pacifica… _You gonna scream like a little girl_ , the man said. _Who was that? What that a memory? When did it happen?_

"V? V!" Takemura was shaking his shoulder and looking at him with worried eyes. 

V found himself at the finish line, still sitting in the trolley while people gathered around asking if he’s alright. He must have passed out… 

"I’m sorry." 

"V, do not apologize. How are you feeling?" 

"I think I saw a memory." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"I’m fine," he mumbled half-hearted. He didn’t want to ruin the evening like some sort of gonk. 

"You do not look like fine. Let us go home." 

  


They stopped by the food stall. V didn’t feel like eating anything, he thought he might puke any moment due to weird headache. It hurt but it also made him feel numb. The lady neatly packed them a takeout and they returned home. He was a bit angry on himself, he wanted to spend a nice evening with his… his input, but everything went down and he couldn’t help it. He wanted everything to go back to normal… What Goro said? Memories will return within 8 weeks? Only 3 will pass by the end of this week, so 5 more of those tortures. It would only get worse at this point, he had more than 8 months gap to fill. V groaned miserably, loud enough for Takemura to hear. V just noticed they were back in the living room at their home, two cups of steaming tea placed on the table. Just when did they get here? Goro hugged him tightly and patted his head. 

"It will be alright. Drink and try to get some sleep," he whispered softly into V’s ear. 

"I feel like I’m losing my mind," V answered, pulling away slightly to look the other man in the eyes. 

"It will get better." 

"Thanks for being here for me." 

"It is me, who should thank you. For everything." 

V wanted to ask more, he wanted to know just how much he’s missing. But on the other hand he didn’t want to ruin the moment like he ruined the evening. Maybe he could somehow redeem himself… His input deserved it after dealing with all the shit for this long. V closed the distance between them and placed his lips on Takemura’s. They were soft and warm, screaming to be ravaged by his own. It felt a bit wrong but he couldn’t understand why so he pushed the feeling aside. When he was about to deepen the kiss, the other man pulled away, a frown forming between his brows. 

"You should recover your memories first, before-" 

"Goro, I need you," V rasped out in a low, husky voice and it was all it took for Goro to launch at him. 

With the man between his legs, hanging above him he had another, yet very blurred and short lived vision. Darker skin, short white hair, blue eyes with outer rings, full lips and strange golden cyberware at the throat. He ignored it completely before it could overwhelm him and cause another blackout. 

Why it all felt so wrong? 

  
  
  
  


_**And this card, V, i̞̿ś̘͕̙́̒͡ͅ t̚͢ḧ͙̮̮͘̚e̢̨̼̤͉͋͋̾̊́ D̮͔͚̀̉̔e̻̔v̧̤̺̳̎̈́̏͘ĩ̪̰l͖͍̃̚͟͡**_  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment! Thanks in advance!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback appreciated!


End file.
